US2011063503A1PendingUtilityA1

Synchronizing secondary content to a multimedia presentation

47
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Jul 6, 2009Filed: Jul 6, 2010Published: Mar 17, 2011
Est. expiryJul 6, 2029(~2.9 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Steven M. BrandAndrew C. Gilbert
H04N 21/43074H04N 21/4305H04N 21/242H04N 21/23109H04N 21/23424H04N 21/4788H04N 21/8106H04N 21/426
47
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Claims

Abstract

In various embodiments, secondary content synchronized to a multimedia presentation is delivered. An audio signal is sampled with a local application and transmitted to a remote server. The remote server determines secondary content associated with the audio sample and transmits the secondary content to the local application for display thereat.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method for providing secondary content synchronized to a remotely-experienced multimedia presentation, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a remote location, an audio sample of the multimedia presentation;   determining a temporal location, within the multimedia presentation, of the audio sample;   identifying secondary content based on the temporal location; and   causing delivery of the secondary content to the remote location, the secondary content being synchronized to the multimedia presentation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising identifying the multimedia presentation based at least in part on the audio sample. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein identifying the multimedia presentation comprises comparing the audio sample to a database of audio features. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the audio sample is received from a device located where the multimedia presentation is experienced. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the temporal location is determined based on an analysis of the audio sample. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the multimedia presentation comprises a live TV program. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the multimedia presentation comprises a time-shifted TV program. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising analyzing the multimedia presentation, prior to the step of determining the temporal location, to facilitate locating of the audio sample within the multimedia presentation. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising storing results of the analysis of the multimedia presentation in an audio features database. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein analyzing the multimedia presentation comprises at least one of feature extraction and indexing. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein feature extraction comprises at least one of pre-emphasizing audio content of the multimedia presentation, creating frames of samples of audio content of the multimedia presentation, extracting features of audio content of the multimedia presentation in a time domain, or extracting features of audio content of the multimedia presentation in a frequency domain. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the temporal location comprises matching a pattern in the audio sample with a pattern in the multimedia presentation. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the audio sample is received at a periodic interval, on an ad-hoc basis, or at a request from a user. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying secondary content comprises querying a database of secondary content with the temporal location. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary content comprises at least one of live user-generated content and stored user-generated content. 
     
     
         16 . A system for providing secondary content synchronized to a multimedia presentation, the system comprising:
 computer memory for storing an audio sample of the multimedia presentation;   an audio-processing module for determining a temporal location, within the multimedia presentation, of the audio sample;   a content-processing module for identifying secondary content based on the temporal location; and   a transmitter for transmitting the secondary content to a remote location, the secondary content being synchronized to the multimedia presentation.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the audio-processing module comprises at least one of a feature-extractor module or a time-indexing module. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the feature-extractor module comprises at least one of a pre-emphasis filter, a window frame-builder module, a time-domain feature extractor, or a frequency-domain feature extractor. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising a secondary-content server for hosting a database of secondary content, the database serving secondary content based on the determined temporal location. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the interface module is hosted on at least one of a notebook computer, netbook computer, desktop computer, personal digital assistant, cellular phone, or handheld media player. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the secondary content comprises at least one of live user-generated content and stored user-generated content. 
     
     
         22 . A method for delivering secondary content synchronized to a multimedia presentation to a user, the method comprising:
 sampling an audio portion of the multimedia presentation, thereby creating an audio sample;   transmitting the audio sample to a remote server;   receiving secondary content synchronized to the multimedia presentation, the secondary content based at least in part on the temporal location of the audio sample in the multimedia presentation;   delivering, via a user interface, the secondary content to the user.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein delivering the secondary content comprises one of displaying visual data or playing back audio data. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising pre-processing the audio sample prior to transmission. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein pre-processing the audio sample comprises at least one of normalization or initial-feature extraction. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the secondary content is delivered based at least in part on a user preference, a location of the user interface, or a screen size of the user interface. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising varying the length of the audio sample. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the secondary content comprises at least one of live user-generated content and stored user-generated content. 
     
     
         29 . An article of manufacture comprising computer-readable instructions thereon for delivering secondary content to a user, the secondary content synchronized to a multimedia presentation, the article of manufacture comprising:
 instructions to sample an audio portion of the multimedia presentation, thereby creating an audio sample;   instructions to transmit the audio sample to a remote server;   instructions to receive secondary content synchronized to the multimedia presentation, the secondary content based at least in part on the temporal location of the audio sample in the multimedia presentation;   instructions to deliver the secondary content to the user.   
     
     
         30 . The article of  claim 29 , wherein delivering the secondary content comprises one of displaying visual data or playing back audio data. 
     
     
         31 . The article of  claim 29 , further comprising instructions for pre-processing the audio sample prior to transmission. 
     
     
         32 . The article of  claim 31 , wherein pre-processing the audio sample comprises at least one of normalization or initial-feature extraction. 
     
     
         33 . The article of  claim 29 , wherein the secondary content is delivered based at least in part on a user preference, a location of the user interface, or a screen size of the user interface. 
     
     
         34 . The article of  claim 29 , further comprising instructions for varying the length of the audio sample. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the secondary content comprises at least one of live user-generated content and stored user-generated content. 
     
     
         36 . A method for delivering secondary content synchronized to a multimedia presentation to a user, the method comprising:
 sampling an audio portion of the multimedia presentation, thereby creating an audio sample;   determining a temporal location, within the multimedia presentation, of the audio sample;   identifying secondary content based on the temporal location; and   delivering, via a user interface, the secondary content to the user.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 receiving, from a remote location, at least one of audio features corresponding to the multimedia presentation and secondary content corresponding to the multimedia presentation; and   storing at least one of the audio features and secondary content in a local database.   
     
     
         38 . A system for providing secondary content synchronized to a multimedia presentation, the system comprising:
 computer memory for storing an audio sample of the multimedia presentation;   a pre-process module for determining a temporal location, within the multimedia presentation, of the audio sample; and   a user interface for delivering secondary content corresponding to the temporal location to a user.   
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , further comprising a local database for storing the secondary content.

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